Summer Socratic Club Debating Competition & Certification (The Charles Dickens Museum) - Sunday 29 June 2025

We were delighted to return to the Charles Dickens Museum on Sunday 29th June for another excellent day of debating and public speaking with our Junior and Senior Socratic Club members.

This year is a particularly special one for the venue, as the Charles Dickens Museum is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Located at 48 Doughty Street, it is the only surviving London house in which Charles Dickens lived — and the very place where he wrote the stories that made him internationally famous. It is a fitting and inspiring location for our members to explore the power of words and argument.

We were especially fortunate to be joined once again by Andrew Kopkin as our guest judge. Andrew is an Oxford and Cambridge alumnus with a wealth of experience in legal argument, advocacy, and public speaking. It was a real privilege for the students to receive feedback from someone with such expertise.

Each debate began with a warm-up challenge: How would you describe a helicopter to someone living in Roman times? This encouraged students to think clearly, explain ideas in simple terms, and approach unfamiliar scenarios with imagination and logic.

The Junior competition focused on the motion:‘This House believes that music is more important than sports’.Students put forward thoughtful arguments on both sides — covering themes such as teamwork, wellbeing, discipline, and self-expression. We saw excellent use of examples and justification, and our judge was particularly impressed by the clarity and confidence shown in the debate.

The Senior group debated two motions:‘This House should be prepared to have less money in order to save the planet' and ‘This House agrees that NATO countries should spend at least 5% of their GDP on defence’.

Both debates were delivered to a high standard. Students used evidence well, challenged each other respectfully, and presented a range of perspectives. The summary speeches were especially strong, with students aiming to persuade through balance and nuance. The judge praised their poise, focus, and ability to respond thoughtfully under pressure.

Very well done to all who took part — and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for our next competition in the autumn.